1. Horizon Europe Partnerships #HorizonEU Renzo Tomellini
Renzo Tomellini
- Head of Unit “Horizon Strategic Planning and Programming (Co-creation and Co-design)”
- acting Head of Unit “Missions and Partnerships”
This presentation is based on the Commission Proposal for Horizon Europe, the common understanding between the co-legislators and the Partial General Approach. It does represent an engagement on behalf of the European Commission. Please refer to official documents.
Research and Innovation

2. Lessons Learned. Key Novelties from Horizon 2020 Interim Evaluation
Lessons Learned Key Novelties from Horizon 2020 Interim Evaluation in Horizon Europe
European Innovation Council
Support breakthrough innovation
R&I Missions
Create more impact through mission-orientation and citizens' involvement
Extended association possibilities
Strengthen international cooperation
Open science policy
Reinforce openness
The H2020 interim evaluation identfied five main areas for improvement, including the need to rationalise the funding landscape;
As one important contribution to the rationalisation of the funding landscape, Horizon Europe presents a new approach to partnerships
New approach to Partnerships
Rationalise the funding landscape

3. New approach to partnerships: why?
Impact Assessment annex 8-5 – current partnership landscape
Figure stems from the Horizon Europe Impact Assessment
It includes all partnership approaches that has been identified by Council in December 2017 (not all consider FET-Flagships and EIT/KICs as partnerships)
JPIs are included as they usually are supported by H2020 via CSAs and ERA-NET Co-funds;
The forthcoming EURO HPC (JU) and the planned two additional KICs are included in brackets as well;
Financial contributions are estimated

4. New approach to European partnerships: overview
New generation of objective-driven and more ambitious partnerships in support of agreed EU policy objectives
Key features
Simple architecture and toolbox
Coherent life-cycle approach
Strategic orientation
Co-programmed
Based on Memoranda of Understanding / contractual arrangements; implemented independently by the partners and by Horizon Europe
Co-funded
Based on a joint programme agreed by partners; commitment of partners for financial and in-kind contributions & financial contribution by Horizon Europe
Institutionalised
Based on long-term dimension and need for high integration; partnerships based on Articles 185 / 187 of TFEU and the EIT-Regulation supported by Horizon Europe
Horizon Europe will take a new and more impact-focussed approach to partnerships.
Key features:
Simple architecture and toolbox: Rationalising the number of labels and instruments used and ensuring coherence and complementarity;
Coherent life-cycle approach: criteria framework, from their selection to implementation, monitoring, evaluation and phasing out;
Strategic orientation: Identification of new or renewed Partnerships is part of the Strategic Planning of Horizon Europe.

5. European Partnerships: what is new?
Only support partnerships if there is evidence that they are more effectively achieving policy objectives than Horizon Europe alone
Fewer partnerships with higher impacts
Common and coherent framework of criteria along the life cycle of partnerships, across all pillars, even across programmes and other regulations (e.g. EIT, DEP, space)
Allow a broader set of actors to participate
Unified umbrella branding to improve visibility
Time limited with conditions for phasing-out the Programme funding
Improve coherence between partnerships and Horizon Europe, also the missions
Contribute to higher openness of Europe's R&I ecosystems
Horizon Europe will limit the use of partnerships to areas where they will more effectively achieve objectives of the programme;
This includes i.a. that partnerships should engage into a broader set of joint actions beyond joint calls, including those related to market, regulatory or policy uptake;
Partnerships contribute very visible to the further realisation of the ERA – that should be 'showcased' more in the future;
Partnerships have the potential to play an important role for 'sharing excellence' amd hence contributing to a better openness of the R&I ecosystems in Europe – we want to better use this potential.

6. Outcome of inter-institutional negotiations
Main changes compared to COM proposal:
Reduce the minimum participation of MS in Article 185 from 50% to 40%;
Narrow down, for Article 185/7, the scope of financial contributions from partners, their use and the way they are managed;
Ensure access to data on proposals, projects and evaluations for all partnerships, in a common IT tool;
Introduce a capping of budgets for all partnerships in pillar II (majority of budgets implemented with action outside partnerships);
Areas for institutionalised partnerships (Article 185/187) defined in an Annex to the FP regulation.
The Council, the Lamy group and the H2020 interim evaluation called for a rationalisation of the partnership landscape – so we will be more selective, notably with a coherent criteria framework along the life cycle of partnerships;
This new criteria framework will even be applied in other policy fields, where partnerships are part of the implementation toolbox, such as the Digital Europe programme (DEP) or the space programme;
The new programme co-fund action is a smart evolution and merger of the currently used ERA-Net Cofund and EJP Co-fund, which allows for a very broad scope of joint actions;
We want to improve the outreach of partnerships, notably by including foundations as eligible partners and by setting –up a unified umbrella branding;
Partnerships will need to be set-up and implemented in a way, that allows for a phasing-out of programme funding without automatically risking the sustainability of the underlying programme.

7. Possible proposals for institutionalised Partnerships based on Article 185 / 187
Partnership area (Annex Va of the Regulation)
Possible proposals
Partnership Area 1: Faster development and safer use of health innovations for European patients, and global health
EU-Africa research partnership on health security to tackle infectious diseases
Innovative Health Initiative
Partnership Area 2: Advancing key digital and enabling technologies and their use, including but not limited to novel technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, photonics and quantum technologies
Key Digital Technologies
Smart Networks and Services
EuroHPC (no Impact Assessment)
Partnership Area 3: European leadership in Metrology including an integrated Metrology system
European Metrology
Partnership Area 4: Accelerate competitiveness, safety and environmental performance of EU air traffic, aviation, transport and rail
Transforming Europe's rail system
Integrated Air Traffic Management
Clean Aviation
Partnership Area 5: Sustainable, inclusive and circular bio-based solutions
Circular bio-based Europe: sustainable innovation for new local value from waste and biomass
Partnership Area 6: Hydrogen and sustainable energy storage technologies with lower environmental footprint and less energy-intensive production
Clean Hydrogen
Partnership Area 7: Clean, connected, cooperative, autonomous and automated solutions for future mobility demands of people and goods
Safe and Automated Road Transport
Partnership Area 8: Innovative and R&D intensive small and medium-sized enterprises
Innovative SMEs

8. Timeline and process for the preparation of partnerships
3 May – 27 June: Structured consultation of Member States (as part of strategic coordinating process)
July: Publication of draft Inception Impact Assessments and start of the Impact Assessment work for Art /185. Start of preparation work for all partnerships.
Early August: Open Public Consultation on future European: Partnerships based on Article 185/187 (12 weeks)
24-26 September: R&I Days (policy discussion and validation with stakeholders, covers all European Partnerships)
End of 2019: Submission of Impact Assessment drafts to Regulatory Scrutiny Board
Early 2020: Adoption of Commission proposals for Article 185/187 initiatives
2021: Launch of first European Partnerships under Horizon Europe

9. Context – strategic coordinating process
: Council Conclusions calls on COM and MS to jointly establish a long-term strategic coordinating process
: ERAC recommendations on the requirements for the set-up of a strategic coordinating process, importantly:
Horizon Europe Regulation (common understanding): general provisions for establishing European Partnerships (recitals, Article 8) and criteria (Annex III) + areas for A187/5 Partnerships (Annex Va)
Specific Programme (PGA): Partnerships and the Strategic Plan (Article 4a):
“The strategic coordinating process should function as an entry point for setting up new R&I partnerships. It can only be of advisory character providing qualitative input, without duplicating and circumventing any existing decision making processes at EU and national level, namely the Commissions’ right of initiative, comitology or funding decisions at national level. “
“The strategic planning process shall be complemented by a strategic coordinating process for European Partnerships, with participation of Member States and the Commission on equal footing. It shall function as an entry point for foresight analysis, analysis and advice on the portfolio development, possible setup, implementation, monitoring and phasing out of R&I partnerships and be guided by a comprehensive criteria framework, based on Annex III of the Horizon Europe Regulation.”

10. Context

11. Emerging Partnership portfolio Horizon Europe
Rationalisation and reform achieved so far:
Reduction from >120 (of all types) to currently 45;
6 new topics;
28 reformed continuations;
11 mergers and reforms;
35 partnerships candidates in Pillar II;
11 partnership candidates outside pillar II (9 EIT-KICs, SMEs, Open Science Cloud).
EU contributions/budgets:
To be decided at a later stage following the overall MFF and Horizon Europe budgetary envelopes;
To be determined once there are agreed objectives, and clear commitments from partners.

12. Obrigado !
Research and innovation days, 24 – 26 September 2019